


The Three Gulls: A Point in Time

by SpankedbySpike



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: A Wrinkle In Time - Freeform, Angst with a Happy Ending, Complete, Complicated Relationships, Coping, Drama & Romance, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Memory Loss, Multi, POV First Person, Sex, Smut, The Grey Gull, Threegulls, Threesome, Threesome - F/M/M, Troubles (Haven), shifting slowly toward Nathan Audrey and Duke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-01 00:06:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10910220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpankedbySpike/pseuds/SpankedbySpike
Summary: The barn just disappeared and Nathan is left behind, trying to make it... And then Duke becomes a force of change... for the better, before Lexie/Audrey is returned to Haven.





	1. The Sky was Falling

**Author's Note:**

> Multi-parts story that links the lives and perceptions of Nathan, Duke and Audrey as to what happened between the end of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4.
> 
> All parts lead to an upcoming polyamory relationship between these three. And the new chapters will be posted every weekend, so of course any comment would be appreciated and could impact the path taken in this story even though the first 3 chapters are already written.
> 
> Much of this story is inspired by snippets from Bruce Springsteen songs on the album The Rising (mostly Into the Fire, Empty Sky, Further On Up the Road, You're Missing and My City of Ruins)! According to me, it's a great way to accompany these characters in the journey they face at the beginning of Season 4.  
> To have a listen while reading right-click on this link and the mp3 will play on the background on a different tab: [Springsteen The Rising (post 9-11 inspiration](http://live.brucespringsteen.net/music/0,11620/Bruce-Springsteen-mp3-flac-download-The-Rising.html)

**The Sky Was Falling** by  _ **Spanked by Spike**_

(The World according to Nate)  
  
  
  
  
He looked around, barely managing to stay on his knees, swaying from the blood loss, the hits, the realization that the barn was gone and with it the two most important people in his life. The crowd had dispersed, rushing back to town; and most people had left him behind, alone and broken, in the middle of the field, debris strewn all around him. He didn’t feel any of the physical pain that was overwhelming his exhausted body, still, his mind was devastated. Nathan couldn’t even articulate it; he’d lost Audrey and Duke; at once. What was he supposed to do? What had he done wrong?

 

It couldn’t be possible, he struggled to make his way to his Bronco, there obviously was nothing he could do here. Even worse, he had a hard time starting it, realizing how difficult it was to steady his hand, he paused and just breathed in and out for a moment, trying to free his mind from the clutter, the fear and getting his body under control rather than still burning from the adrenaline in it. He really wished he had asked Duke to teach him a bit of his yoga relaxation techniques. He absolutely needed to think now but for once stoic, laconic Nathan was plagued by feelings even though he lost sensations again.

 

The drive was arduous with most roads destroyed, the city in the background on fire, his mind jumbled, blood trickling over one eye… He finally sidled in front of the Gull, hoping against all hope that somehow those two made it back home, safe and sound.

 

He rattled the doors from the restaurant, and went to the side before finding one open. The smell of cold cigarettes competed with the pine one of a freshly cleaned floor; there was no lights or music on and it felt like the place was ready to open any time now. Nathan backed up, closed the door, then rushed upstairs, looking around Audrey’s flat.

 

Her jacket was still hung on the chair, exactly where she left it last time they were there, everything felt right, the way it had been for weeks, the way it should be. Except Parker was missing, Duke was missing, Nathan didn’t dream this shitty day!

 

Somehow the sky had stopped raining meteors, it had turned black and smoky; yet the only thing Nathan could think of was that his love was lost somewhere, in trouble, and maybe, if there was any wish he could make, it would be for Duke to be able to protect her.

 

Time passed, cries for help reached him, but didn’t touch him. He laid on the bed he shared with Parker, closing his eyes. The rain was whispering in his ears the memories of their intimate times together, the waves crashing on the shore acting as accent to his pain, the trembling leaves carrying the ghosting voices of those he lost, the fading steps of their spirited existence, until heavy sleep claimed him.

 

 

          _Nathan had thought he had known Love and just didn’t care about it. It always came with trials and tribulations, never giving him the space to grow to enjoy the other person he was becoming close to; be it the young Driscoll girl or a young extraordinary free spirit such as Duke. He learned then how bad he was at dealing with problems he couldn’t fix, problems that required other forces and wills to come at play, to maybe even save him, or judge his inabilities, make fun of his powerlessness…_

 

          _Until the world gave him Audrey._

 

          _She gave him the wings he needed to fly, to trust and to try. It was a quick peck on his cheek, a strong hold of his hand, a subtle caress of her fingers on his starved unfeeling flesh at first. Then it was a boost in confidence, in himself and in the world surrounding him, somehow showing him that he was really wanted, even appreciated for who he was as a person not as an extension of his father or his function in the Police department._

 

          _Thanks to her wonderful spirit, she turned out to be the one who really needed to be touched. It wasn’t any longer about dealing with a Nathan handicap, a Trouble that needed fixing, instead, it was about diving boldly into a world in which each of them mattered and was essential to the other._

 

          _Duke had known how to let her know she was loved with a look, Nathan had done it with his touch, she had given it back tenfold with her actions. And each of them meant it to be eternal._

 

          _Just like her sensuous kisses made him feel new to the world and savvy to the universe, completely drowning in pleasure as every part of his body radiated heat with his blood singing as she writhes within his arms, every time she squeezed the life out of him. Just as he had found himself helpless to stop tasting her skin, kiss every breath she had to exhale, suckle her impertinently pert nipples, lick a scrumptious path to her juicy core, and embrace the whole of her, her intricate past and their future._

 

 

He was startled awake by the longhorn blasting its eerie sound telling him that life continued out there… He didn’t move, kept his eyes closed, brushed his fingers on the coverlet he couldn’t feel, but which still held their combined smell, and tried to find his bearings again. He grabbed her pillow and smothered his face in it, silent tears falling, his hands cramping on the too tight hold he had on it.

 

He had met his son, a beautiful young man in his prime, who too ended up hurt. He felt like punching a wall, knowing at best, he’d break more bones. Nathan knew about sacrifices, he understood the needs for the greater good to be paramount, and he couldn’t figure out how so much good will could have led them all to such an impasse, to him losing his world, failing those he cared about most.

 

Slowly standing up, Nathan went to the kitchen, thought about preparing a coffee until he noticed the abandoned cups on the counter and contrary to her home, he couldn’t afford to wait her return, he had to find her; he couldn’t afford to think of Audrey and Duke as missing, just as not yet found.

 

He grabbed his keys and with determination he emptied the fridge and put the trash back outside, washed the random dishes left in the sink, shut down the lights, closed everything securely and headed to his house. There was a need to be pro-active, efficient, and resolute. Whatever form this would take.

 

 

          _He was holding on for dear life, fingers bunched in fists by the sides of his hips, nostrils flaring and cataloging the heady scent of their lovemaking, sweating bullets… “Parker” he whispered looking up, and she smiled that blinding smile of hers that always made him lose it; his hands grabbed her thighs, leaving stark marks he will regret in the morning. He met her movements with more vigor than he wanted, lifting both of them from the bed, meeting her for all he was worth. Like a wild mustang, he was being tamed by her skillful touch and nothing in the world mattered more than the scrap of her fingernails on his pectorals, the grip of her thighs on his waist, the way she engulfed his cock and sucked the life out of him. He managed to raise a hand to her striking face, his thumb finding its way to her mouth, getting bitten and soothed erratically, the palm of his hand supporting her lithe neck, her mane flowing around it, mixing every sensation in the nerve endings now alive._

 

          _Nathan wasn’t thinking, he was beyond feeling, he rutted like his life depended on it and every muscle in his body was seizing. He needed completion and yet, he didn’t want to ever stop. Loosening his other hand from her thigh, he lifted it to stroke the breast bouncing in front of his glazed eyes, cupping one, fascinated by the goose bumps on the fair skin surrounding the pinkish nipple and then wished he had the coordination needed to raise his neck and find heaven in the enticing tit. He settled for fondling her and watching her move over him through slitted eyes, trying to commit to memory the ride of his life and wet his parched lips. “Audrey, I love you.”_

 

 

Nathan too often woke up then, more isolated than ever.

 

Nights followed days, gritty fights with the guards, yelled explanations and outstanding expressions of grief were the only remarkable moments he could remember. Worse were the phantom sensations of having his lover stirring in his arms, somehow occupying the empty space in his bed, ultimately deciding him to spend his nights on the sofa instead, drifting in sleep while verbalizing half assed prayers he didn’t believe in anymore. The world continued to turn on its axis, it just happened that Nathan’s was gone and everyone was keen on reminding him about it, often time wishing he wasn’t part of their universe either.

 

He ended up leaving Haven behind; he was no good dead to the friend and to the lover he lost in the barn. It also didn’t stop Nathan from still hearing them calling his name before they disappeared into the dust…

 

Love had called Audrey to the final sacrifice, for their son, for his town, for his future. Their kiss had been stunning for all that it encompassed: depth, hope, commitment. It was duty that had called his fearsome Duke in that barn and had him lay his life in the balance. And together they helped him stay the course, their bright light a memory strong enough to guide him, even today; knowing that yes, they were missing, they had sacrificed their lives and they had taught him to love, taught him to have faith, to trust in his convictions and somehow, against all odds, to believe in a better tomorrow.

 

 

  
  
Next Part: The World according to Duke


	2. Empty Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duke is coming out of Barn, trying to find his bearings and figuring out how his universe relates to Audrey and Nathan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multi-part story that links the lives and perceptions of Nathan, Duke and Audrey to what happened between the end of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4. Ultimately we get a Nathan/Audrey/Duke relationship... Yeah for Threegulls and for their individual relationships too. :)

** The Three Gulls: A Point in Time **

a fic by  ** Spanked by Spike **  
  
Part 1: [The World according to Nate](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/59874.html) (previous chapter)  
Part 2: The World according to Duke (current chapter)

**EMPTY SKY**

 

The barn, the noise, the voices, the speed… Everything was tumbling in and around him, his stomach revolting, his brain trying to catch up with his reality… The fall and the pain mixed with the shock and he was back on his plane or something approximate to it.

 

Duke had no frame of reference when he got back to himself… He had no access to information; no way to find what had happened and who, of the people he cared about, was where. It was fully disconcerting, somehow heartbreaking and frightening.

 

He fell back to sleep, a fitful rest filled with nightmares, and disjointed dreams, and half memories too. Waking up was a blessing, a moment to poise his troubled mind and figure out what was real… Starting by sorting through his emotions; Duke was alive and in relative good health it seemed, not yoga ready, still feeling sore and tender everywhere, but fit enough to go by and find his way home.    
He was also in pain, the type of pain he had thought disappeared when he left Haven, young and impetuous, fed up with the limitations the whole town had somehow build around him, saddened by the man he was, not yet at the level of the one he wanted to be, the one who’d put his parents to shame. Duke would earn the friendship and respect of those he cared about and fuck everyone else.   
Above all else though, there was a bone deep anguish that permeated any thought and any decision he was trying to make. He couldn’t put his finger on it, or frame it but it was bone deep in him… Things were wrong, he wasn’t feeling right.

 

Duke was not ready to let sorrow swallow him alive though, not willing to give any grip to grief, be it in his heart or soul. He couldn’t believe Audrey was gone, he couldn’t imagine how Nathan was doing; he had to trust their home town had survived the Hunter storm. It was dark despair that was sinking his spirit fast and he had yet to address his broken heart…

 

It was easy to think that he was enamored with Audrey, because, why not? She had no history with him, no ambition for him, no prejudices and she seemed determined to be his friend. Duke loved it, it was so new, so shiny, it was a given he’d underhandedly fall in love with her. 

Not that some didn’t notice he was following her like a lost puppy, but thanks to the smoke screen created by the lovely romance of Haven’s finests, i.e. the Chief of Police Nathan Wuornos and the impressive Agent from Boston Audrey Parker, his internal emotional discoveries stayed hidden, buried under layers of self-deprecation, dark humor and sensible curiosity. 

 

Haven had taken a turn for the worse and his dealings and simply being just took a backseat to the drama, with the fringe benefit of freeing him to be in love, without having to play a role or be acting one out in front of anyone. 

 

In the shadows, Duke Crocker was revealing in the fullness of his feelings and taking the time to savor the affection that grew between them all, the contentment of saving his fellow neighbors from unthinkable troubles, the satisfaction of having made his restaurant work and much more…

 

Duke still remembers the first time he saw her, touched her, and thanked the Heavens for her apparition. Sure, she had been knocked out in the dark waters of the harbor, unconscious to the world, to his world. Saving her was a no-brainer, Duke was never holding back if he could help anyone and everyone. Removing her clothes had been a quick affair, so eager was he to insure this trip in the cold ocean wasn’t going to be a deadly one. He had been brisk in drying her before lowering her body on his upper level bunk. And then, gathering her against his chest as he slowly pulled first the arm of one of his button-down on her, then the second and managed to cover her without jagging her too much.

Arranging the pillow as best he could to position her neck and hope to avoid her any kinks when she wakes up, he finally lowered his gaze on her breast, ready to close the buttons and mesmerized by the goose-bumps covering her upper-body. The pebbled nipples standing proud were a beacon and the temptation was simply sinful; so he had to quickly push the flaps of his shirt together, trying to fit the buttons in the appropriate holes without spending too much time letting his fingers graze the pale skin he was slowly hiding.

 

He’d want to think that he was chivalrous and able to not drown in his own base instincts, but it was definitively not a reality he could claim if anyone ever asked. She was beautiful and he had to bite the inside of his cheek just so he could remember what was important here… saving the damsel in distress, stay honorable, get his mind and cock out of the gutter… Duke ended up tucking the sleeping woman under a warm blanket and left the room to take a hot shower as well, hoping not to get a cold himself.

He so couldn’t wait to engage with her…

 

Haven is the kind of town that gets under your skin. As troubles reappeared, his interactions with both the FBI and the Detective became more common; it even got to include sharing a meal or a drink, or even tagging along when they went on a crime site. Dare he say it? They were downright friendly...

 

In reality, it’s a different side of Nathan he got to discern, and a startling intimation at the happiness he saw played on both their features that tipped him off to the fact that Duke Crocker believes in romance, as much as in the drama that followed all of them since the return of the Troubles. Duke, hoping for a positive outcome, wasn’t even that inconceivable, if only those two were applying themselves to sexual if not romantic affairs with the same single-mindedness they showed to address the issues Troubled neighbors brought to their doors!

 

Sure, if he had two brain cells functioning normally, with a little less alcohol clouding his judgment, he would have understood the complexity inherent in making his ménage dream a reality. It explains though why he forbore until the Barn incident…    
Yes, he refers to it as the incident because he was certain that no God out there would let these two beautiful souls be taken away from him before their time, before he had a chance to bring them some contentment, before he had an opportunity to be loved so brightly by each of them.

 

He lost consciousness again. In this hospital bed, far from home, hooked to machines, restrained and blissfully ready for dreamland to claim him again.

 

                    _Nathan hands were surprisingly hard, calluses and old scars marring his long fingers. Touch had been such a forbidden topic between them until Audrey. Duke had not realized how bad things must have been for him to make everything work as if he was feeling it. Things were always too hot, too cold, too light, too heavy, too shapely… Relying on pressure had become second nature for Nate and it explained why his grip had been so strong when he urged Duke to go after Audrey in that barn._

                    _He was hearing people talk… Known and unknown voices, old and new issues, cries for help and of anger. He could follow the lingering perfume of Audrey; at time feel her voice like a caress on his frayed nerves, on his voice, hoarse from calling in to her, from fear, from despair._

                    _She did find him at the turn of a hallway, bumping into him and almost falling had he not been fast enough to engulf her in an embrace. Silent tears were falling from her eyes but she still managed a choked “Duke?” surprised to see him here, when she’d been running after James, trying to see what she could do to save him. “Hold on Audrey, Nate sent me, hold on to me and we will find a way!” he’d whispered in her hair, hoping it was what he needed to say, what the situation called for._

                    _She stayed in his arms for a second, a minute, maybe an eternity, and then he backed up a bit, like the first time he met her, feeling her trembling from head to toes, having to reassure himself that she was okay. So, he patted her body, up and down, front and back, and not noticing any injuries figured out it was just the nerves that had her shaking so violently._

                    _He sat on the floor, back to the wall and opening his legs, pulled on her arm to settle her in front of him, holding her tight and trying to find what their next step should be, avoiding as much as possible to think about why he was here, and even if he could stay in that supernatural barn, while Audrey was somehow transformed into another iteration of the woman he loves and with the way the gods were at it, the one he will never meet again… Fuck, but this sucked big time, the only thing that held him together was to have her with him, warm and alive. That was only until they fell asleep, and he woke up alone, full of angst and lost in a maze of white corridors…_

 

Duke Crocker startled awake, crushed by loneliness, feeling abandoned and hopeless. Then angry and willing to tear this world apart, until he found them, safe and sound.

FIN

 

Part 3: The World according to two of our Gulls (next chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to interact with more fans in this fandom, so don't hesitate to comment and/or crit any of the chapters <3


	3. A Brave New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So many feels and so much to share between Duke and Nate since the found each other again...

**The Three Gulls: A Point in Time,** a fic by **Spanked by Spike**

Chapter: **A Brave New World,** the world according to two of our Gulls

 

  * Part 1: [The World according to Nate](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/60448.html) (previous chapter)
  * Part 2: [The World according to Duke](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/60448.html) (previous chapter)
  * Part 3: A Brave New World (current chapter)



 

Jennifer came at the right time, a ray of hope when everything surrounding him was grey and gloomy. Blasting his world was finding his Nathan alive. Duke never used the possessive in relating to anyone he knew, but this man had always occupied a special space in his life, and these past years in his heart too…

 

This Nathan was unkempt, savage on the edges, a man that appeared to have nothing left to live for. The embrace they shared when they recognized each other affected him to his core. It was like every anxiety and every wish Duke tried to tamp down suddenly surfaced and drowned everything else; they had found each other, they could find Audrey!

  
  
It was going to be a couple of days before they could make it, hopefully inconspicuously, into Haven. Thanks to Jennifer’s low key approach to it all, they had a chance to stop for the night at a no-name motel to clean up and formulate some form of plan.

  
  
The problem with Nathan Thaddeus Wuornos was that he was so poorly socialized; At least in comparison to Duke Crocker, host extraordinaire. The man spoke in monosyllables, was short on smiles, could spend a day gazing at the sky and boy was he hung up on his freaking pancakes! Shaking him was thankfully easy. Every time he realized he was the focus of Duke’s attention, Nathan was perking up, trying to stay involved in the discussion or the action. Duke would pay to figure out what he was thinking about.

  
It was surprising to see him that disconnected though. The ex-detective just didn’t make the associations that were second nature before, didn’t seem to be able to find the spark that would get him to put one foot in front of the other for his own sake, pinning for Audrey in such a way he had yet to notice Duke own despair.

  
Of course, the dramatic arrival in town didn’t help them get their bearings or find the support they most needed. It forced them to find refuge at the Rouge, thankfully a defendable base against the gun touting lunatics from the Guard and a place familiar enough to both men that they could get Jennifer safely settled while working on their own preparations. Personal safety was an issue as much as trying to get information they could use and finding out what had happened and where things stood. There was much work to do!

  
Nate must have known this moment would come though, Duke was not defined by his patience or for letting bygones be bygones. That evening found them side by side, watching the sun set on the foaming water, the Cape Rouge rolling under their sea foot, and their minds trying to process the fact they had to decide what their next steps would be.

  
Duke let his large hand cover Nathan’s on the railing. And moments later their fingers intertwined. It was clear to them both, this was not about the physical connection in isolation; it was about everything they grew to be for each other. Furthermore, any touch shared was in direct correlation to the loss they both suffered with the disappearance of Audrey, the woman that made them better men…

  
Crying over the good times they had or could have had was just adding to the confusion, and was taking away the courage she readily recognized in them. As the occurrence of Audrey’s disappearance compounded the effect of all her manifestations and impact in their lives through the years, the weight of the situation was somehow paralyzing them.

  
He threw his arm around Nathan shoulders and veered them towards the cabin downstairs. It was funny how the man didn’t put up his usual fight and accepted to be led until he sat at the table. Moments later, Duke had two glasses and a bottle between them, reminding them of days spent playing cards, discussing the latest incidents occurring in town, reaching out to each other without making it seem like they cared.

 

~~~   ***   ~~~

  
“Duke, I remember what you said before Audrey went into the barn.” Nathan whispered looking down at his glass. The man across from him was tapping his finger in an odd cadence and he had to stop him, it was just too distracting. He covered Duke long fingers and continued “You’ve been in love with Audrey, and yet you let us be. Why?”

  
There was no answer for too long, so he looked up, trying to catch Duke’ gaze. “Nathan, I didn’t know what I really felt at first. Audrey was just fun to be around, and then I started caring about finding out how she was related to Lucy, by the time Colorado came, I was too gone to recognize it. All the while, you too were becoming this force of nature, a team like I have never seen in town. In view of the man you became with her, I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted anymore, I just stood back watching you two happen, in awe.”

  
Silence fell again, not even disturbed by the gulp of the drinks.

  
“Look, I don’t know what to say. She’d been such a beacon on my life. Audrey brought the sense of touch back to my world, and that was important but not as much as the trust, confidence and love she gave me with no restrictions. I can’t remember ever feeling like this. And through it all, I got to see a new side of you. It’s like the friendship we shared had magnified to a relationship in which I trusted you with my life and hers. I can’t tell you when it happened, but somehow, I grew to admire the man you became Duke, the one that could protect us… I wanted to spend time with you.”

  
This was getting much too emotional and another round was certainly required. Duke was coming to the determination that Nathan was much closer to meet him in the middle than he thought, but he still didn’t know how to breach the subject and was wary about where it would lead. However, as immortalized by Crosby, Still and Nash, words exhorting them to love the ones they were with floated in his subconscious and bothered Duke who was clearly aware of whom he was talking to.

  
“Duke, I can’t stop looking for her. If you came back, I won’t be able to stop myself from hoping that she will too.”

  
And that was the crux of the problem, Duke wanted that too. He just wanted Nate soothing his worries, mind and body while working at it.

  
Duke sighed, “I want that too Nate. I just don’t want to lose sight of you, I don’t want anything to happen to you, and I want, no I need, to find Audrey as much as you do!” He let his fist bang the top of the table, upsetting himself at not being able to find the right way to express his feelings and what he craves; he didn’t even dare articulate what he coveted.

  
Nathan had been on a parallel track, a witness and a protagonist to the formative events that shaped his life. He’d been the rose hidden in a fisted glove, not giving of himself to a world that hurt. Duke had not been the friend or lover he could have been; mostly because he didn’t know how. But now, he only had to stay the course and subduing this heartache to take any fragment of joy from the life they had yet to live.

  
“I just don’t want to be alone; I don’t want to do it alone.” He murmured before turning to the side, looking at his kitchen countertop like it held the answer to life and death questions.

  
Nathan looked at him askance, concentrating on what was said and what was hinted. It was troubling to see his friend being that frustrated, and to somehow thoughtfully reflect about what he meant to him. It’s not like he ever paused enough to establish how the people in his life really filled his world, and how he made theirs better. Duke though, he was always more perceptive than he was giving him credit, which might explain why he was so successful in his extra-curricular activities... He was supportive of others, had real empathy and was relatively tolerant of their slights. There was no way what he felt and tried to convey was fake, Nathan owed it to himself to really examine this.

  
“Duke, look at me. Don’t think you are alone here.” Nathan said with more conviction than he believed he had nowadays. “Whatever is in your mind, out with it!” He added before tugging at the fist in front of him, not really feeling the skin but aware of the tension coiled in these long fingers. “C’me on… We’ve survived too much, please trust me with whatever is troubling you.”

  
Duke chuckled mirthlessly. “I wouldn’t know where to start, Nate. These past years have been cruel; filled with too much pain, too much destruction, too much dying. And I know you lived through it too. I’m not here to cry on your shoulder man, but I need some certainty, something I can’t pinpoint but that will somehow make me whole again. And, at some level, all levels, it includes you.”

  
_Wow, wasn’t it a brazen way to leave yourself vulnerable, Crocker, this is going to suck when you’ll get kicked to the curb!_

  
Nathan couldn’t really think. He too knew how disconnected he’d become… What these years had done in changing his world, his beliefs, his friendships and his loves. Somehow the resurgence of the Troubles brought him a new purpose, one in which his life had become closely intertwined with Audrey’s, Duke’s, Dwight’s, Vince and Dave and so many others.

  
There indeed was a positive to it, he’d become close to Duke in ways he couldn’t have foreseen, trusted him with his life, and Audrey’s. What was even more exceptional was that he trusted the relationship these two had built between themselves. They cared about each other in an endearing way, one that somehow was never exclusive of Nathan. In such a way that he was always kept aware that he mattered to them, unquestionably.

  
So, he answered, as reassuringly as possible, “Well there is one thing we must establish Duke, there isn’t something you can think and share that wouldn’t be substantive to me. I don’t want you to hesitate to call me or tell me whatever is worrying you, whenever it happens. I’m not really in a good place right now and I imagine you aren’t either. I may not be able to help but I will stand by you; I promise.”

  
Duke turned his hand up, closing his fingers on Nathan with enough pressure to show Nate he was following him. It was a bit girly and romantic but with a touch trouble, it worked as much to show concern.

  
The ex-detective pursued “I know I can be a bit single-minded and my eagerness to find Audrey safe and sound might let you think that I am not appreciative of having you here, by my side, doing the heavy-duty work that my mind cannot process. But you are the foundation I need to function right now, don’t cast me aside, please. Not now.” There was more than a supplication in his tone, there was also the tremble of dread.

  
“Nate, Nate, don’t panic!” Duke shuffled to the side of the table, one knee dropping to the floor, lifting Nathan jaw with his index finger so he could squelch the anxiety rising in him just by conveying with his eyes, the unremitting affection he had for the man.

  
Duke sighed, he obviously needed to put his thoughts into words, ones understandable by Nathan, no matter where it would lead, and at least it will be out there…

  
“It’s simple Nathan, it’s challenging and problematical but also easy once you think about it. I need to feel that I matter to you, that you need me, the way I do; that you’d want me, the way you want Audrey, that when we get her back, she’ll love me the way she loves you, and that until then you’d keep me warm and loved, and let me comfort you and care for you, if not love you. “

  
Nathan smiled, mostly because he wanted to reassure Duke. He had yet to find a way to reassure himself…

  
He dropped his hand on Duke’s knee and squeezed, still not finding words. It’s not that he didn’t understand his feelings for Audrey, it was really about the fact he was offered something he never even imagined possible. Duke was almost at eye level with him and he lowered his gaze to the hand grasping his knee, putting his on top.

  
“Duke, you’ve put so much thought into this… You really think it could happen?”

  
Crocker smirked, confidence bleeding in his posture. “I know, it’s too crazy to be said out loud, you might even think it’s stupid or believe it can’t happen, but Nate, with everything we’ve been through, why not hope for the impossible and get the best of this world?” Nathan snorted, eyes crinkling in the corners, finally finding his voice.

  
“I’d like to try to be the person you want me to be, Duke. I’d like to be the friend I forgot how to be and maybe envision to become the lover you need, but I can’t promise any of this.” Duke pushed himself off, standing abruptly; feeling sickened by what he felt was a heartfelt rejection.

  
Nathan stood and grabbed his sleeve.

  
“Com’on, I’ve been socially clueless for years, and you think I’d know how to react to this suggestion? That I’d know how to express my feelings? That I’d even know how to live through it? Duke, let’s be candid here, what makes you consider that I have the skills, awareness and experience to make this real for myself, let alone for you two?”

  
His shoulder dropped and he looked about ridiculous with his two hands holding down Duke’ sleeve but it summed up his thought on the subject quite clearly, at least to him.

  
Duke used his other hand to pull his friend towards him by the neck “Boy, are you stupid?” he added before pulling Nate in a hug. “Don’t sweat the small stuff, okay? Let’s take it one step at a time, just promise me you’d give it your all!”

  
Nathan breathed in the assurance enclosed in that sentence and the strength in the grasp they shared and closing his eyes, he nodded.

 

“I promise I will…”

 

**End of Chapter.**

 

 

 

 **Next Chapter** : Revealed, Exposed and Noticed (Audrey's POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me 3 days to post this without an error message from AO3... Spending too much time on details like this and haven't been able to find a community to connect with fellow fans and try to improve this work, so I apologize in advance for the under-developed quality of this series.   
> Once I post the OT3 on chapter 5 next week, I will get back to fandoms I obviously am more suited to write instead of moving on to the full blown NC-17 next series.  
> Until then, I certainly hope you all will enjoy our Gulls, they are amazing!


	4. Exposed, Revealed and Noticed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexie/Audrey is back in town and trying to figure how she fits with Nathan and Duke.

**The Three Gulls: A Point in Time,** a fic in 5 parts by **Spanked by Spike**

Rating: PG-15  
 _Fandom: [Haven](http://www.syfy.com/haven/about)  
Word Count: 1165 words  
Relationship: this part is mostly Audrey's POV but ultimately Nathan/Duke/Audrey  
Summary: Multi-part story that links the lives and perceptions of Nathan, Duke and Audrey as to what happened between the end of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4._  
 _Notes_ : _Next Chapter our OT3 is finally getting together :)_

Part 1: [The Sky was Falling: the World according to Nate](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/60448.html) (previous chapter)  
Part 2: [Empty Sky: the World according to Duke](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/60448.html) (previous chapter)  
Part 3: [A Brave New World: the World according to NUKE](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/61040.html) (previous chapter)  
Part 4: Revealed, Exposed and Noticed: the World according to Audrey (current chapter)  
  
  
 **REVEALED, EXPOSED AND NOTICED**  
  
  
There was something soothing about being a bartender. It was a work made of good measures. There was no need to reinvent the wheel, you poured the drink, you listened to problems as old as time, you cleaned up and started again. Lexie liked the simplicity of her task at the bar, of the only obligation she had being a good co-worker to the other bartender, of how cash was king and allowed her to move through life as she wished; when needed.

  
  
Of course her dreams weren’t as simple as that, they were populated by broken pictures of dark and dead woods, of stormy waters, of fog horns calling her name. It wasn’t about waking up soaked in sweat, no, it was about having such a hard time falling back to sleep, filled with dread and angst…  
  


Sometimes, there were faces appearing in the background, a tall young man with the brightest of smile looking at this blonde cutie, a pirate barely keeping his balance on a white railing, and even the laconic face of a young cop. Must have been remnants of a few bar fights the police stopped in her previous life, obviously she has been at this work for too long.  
  


She’d leave the bed and look for solace not in a bottle of hard alcohol but in a nice hot cup of joe, no sugar, no cream, heating her from the inside out, telling her she was okay, tomorrow would be a better day…  
  
  
This man, William, was a charmer; the good kind of relentless charmer. She’d gladly spend the night or the weekend with him. But rather than going that route, here he was insisting that she’d learn to use a firearm; that she’d walk through a door she’d never seen; that she trusted her life was down there. She was happy here, and she really didn’t feel like going away… And she started noticing the faces while awake, sometimes even during her shifts, the pirate casually bringing beer bottles to her table, the cop with a crooked grin on his face talking to her while driving, the tall boy holding his guts, fighting to take a breath while blood was seeping through his clenched fingers… Maybe she did need to face her demons, her nightmares, her freaking life!  
  
  
  
Coming to Haven was a leap of faith. Opening the door and jumping was about trust, and then facing a group of vendetta driven imbeciles requiring her to fire a gun at the man she remembered from her dreams… It didn’t take much conviction to decide to fuck them all.  
  
  
  
The first flash of memory really came when Duke intervened. She suddenly remembered him holding her against a white wall, in a white room, on a white floor. Had she been in the loony bin with him? Why did he have tears in his eyes? Why did she felt so heartbroken?  
  


The second spark was seeing the cop on the ground, moment before his head was going to be blown, kissing her on a blanket on a secluded beach, his hands holding her face with so much care, his smile bringing up the handsome features now disappearing under the scrunched eyebrows waiting for the end of him. Her heart stopped beating for a moment, unable to find words to deal with the emotional impact created by the flicker of memories coming back so quickly and of the dire situation she was facing.  
  


Her pirate came to the rescue again, asking to talk to the tall seasoned man that appeared to hold most of the cards in his hands. Somehow it turned out his proposition was deemed bearable by all parties and she was ushered away from this bleak scene with the two men and the young woman from the field… Lexie couldn’t wait to get a moment to herself and regroup.  
  
  
  
Seating in the Bronco triggered another recollection of the cop smiling while twirling a white rose in his hand and talking about the insane amount of sensation receptors on someone lips allowing them to experience their world fully… Eerie how it felt so real, like it just happened moments ago. Her stomach grumbled, hunger was certainly becoming a priority. She was shoved further against him as Duke pushed himself on her other side before closing the door to the car and that set off another one of her on a bed kneeling in front of the Pirate and kissing him with delight. What the heck? She closed her eyes and was greeted by the deep blue gaze of William rushing her to find the door. What the fuck?  
  


She had to figure out what was a memory, what was a fantasy, what was a wish and how she connected to everyone and this mad town. The point was she couldn’t do it now, the only thing she could think of was food, anything would do at this moment.  
  
  
  
The driver turned to her, “I am Nathan, this is Duke, and you are not Audrey?” She couldn’t respond because she probably was Audrey but could she also be Lexie? She looked stubbornly in front of her, taking note of her surroundings, just in case, and responded “I don’t know. With crazies like you all around I am confident I am not the person you want me to be.” Duke laughed and tried to put his hand on her leg, she quickly shoved it away – who gave him that kind of leeway anyway?  
  
  
  
The problem was that she kind of recognized her environment, it felt like she’d been here before and by the time they reached the Grey Gull, she almost could feel phantom sensations of Nathan calloused and scared hands on her bare body, or the full body hugs given by Duke and now she was disoriented. Without thinking she asked before getting out of the car, “Where we in a threesome?”  
  
  
  
It’s like a bomb exploded in the small space. Duke was snorting, Nathan coughing, both were red in the face and absolutely avoiding looking at her or each other for that matter… She laughed… Finally something cool was happening to her. She pushed forward “Which one of you started it? Don’t hide this from me, come on boys!” she urged before putting her hand on top of Nathan’s still on the wheel and Duke leg pushing on her side. “Com’on I’m an adult, I can face the errs of my ways and of my misspent drunken youth… Just tell me!” To Lexie that seemed the most logical understanding. She must have been abusing the bottle and the peyote to have forgotten this whole experience but somehow they all felt like they were intimate friends, lovers with this Audrey and maybe that’s why she gave them a different name than her own? In any case, they all seemed unattached and it’s not like there is anything wrong with a nice romp… threesomes included.

  
  
The end of Part 4.

  
  


  
  
  
  
Next Chapter: At Last


	5. At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion between our Gulls is still tense as they all try to find their bearings but there was only one possible outcome: them working together and getting together :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to the one Haven fan that took the time to read and support me during the development of these chapters: the lovely and inspired @GreyHaven, Thank You!!!

**The Three Gulls: A Point in Time,** a fic by **Spanked by Spike**

Rating: NC-17 (sexually explicit for the last part)  
_Fandom: [Haven](http://www.syfy.com/haven/about)  
Word Count: 5133 words  
Relationship: this part is a Triptych with the first one having Duke and Nathan coming to term with them being together, the second one is about Lexie/Audrey deciding to trust them even though she hasn't got her full memory back, and finally the last one is Nathan/Duke/Audrey rocking the boat!  
Summary: Multi-part story that links the lives and perceptions of Nathan, Duke and Audrey as to what happened between the end of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4._  
_Notes_ : _This is the last Chapter of this series :) Each part is again a point in time and follow a loose relatively straight timeline with days/weeks in between each event.  
This part includes some fluff, some romantic gestures, some hurt/comfort, some dramatic thoughts and some sex. Like the rest of the chapters it has not been reviewed by a beta (don't know that many people in the fandom), sorry...  
Much of this story is inspired by snippets from **Bruce Springsteen** songs on the album [**The Rising**](http://brucespringsteen.net/albums/the-rising)! According to me (I'll probably be the only one reading this anyway) it's a great way to accompany these characters in the journey they face at the beginning of Season 4._

Part 1: [The Sky was Falling: the World according to Nate](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/60448.html) (previous chapter)  
Part 2: [Empty Sky: the World according to Duke](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/60448.html) (previous chapter)  
Part 3: [A Brave New World: the World according to NUKE](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/61040.html) (previous chapter)  
Part 4: [Revealed, Exposed and Noticed: the World according to Audrey](http://spankedbyspike.livejournal.com/62675.html) (previous chapter)  
Part 5: At Last (current chapter dedicated to Grey Haven: thank you much for your support, encouragement and patience on A3 on this story)  
  
  
**Chapter 5: AT LAST**  
  
**TRIPTYCH: Let’s be friend (Duke/Nathan - 1657 words)**  
  
  
Everyone and their mother was coming to town this weekend… Some parts of Maine being located at northern latitudes than Quebec or even New Brunswick, folks all over the East Coast were converging to enjoy the Aurora Borealis predicted to be spectacular.  
  
  
Nathan hadn’t been reinstated by Chief Hendrickson so he was spending most of his time on Duke boat. Resting or fixing things here and there, mostly with the other man, as Duke was finding out how efficient his brother, Wade, was at manning the Grey Gull too. There certainly were mixed feelings about what their place was now in the town they grew up in.  
  
  
The issue with the barn obviously created rifts between one time allies; the power of the Guard had increased exponentially, and the friends they believed would stand by them forever were looking at them, at best like oddities, at worse as people they had to fear and ward their children against. It was unsettling and they both had enough problems to deal with not to add undue confrontations to their plates.  
  
  
Jen, for her part, had settled in the apartment above the Gull, with Audrey’s possession either stored on site in cabinets or brought to the Cape Rouge. Not that Jennifer had that much in terms of belongings either but at least she could crash in a safe place and go back and forth between the world of the living, technically the town folks milling around the bar, and the two recluses that Nathan and Duke had become .  
She didn’t mind, as they deserved a few days to get their bearings back, but also she was feeling lost, not connecting to anyone, just at peace with no more voices vying for attention in her mind. Thankfully, the city seemed to come alive with the upcoming star gazing vibe everyone talked about, and she was ready to enjoy it from the private balcony.  
  
  
The two Haven native were exited… They’ve seen their fair display of star shows over the years, and they knew they were in for a treat. Duke had filled the storage with food and drinks and was moving his boat to a remote bay up the coast to better appreciate the grand entertainment they were in for.  
  
They were both shirtless, sweating it out and working in tandem to finally anchor the Rouge in a secluded spot. Duke shoved his friend towards the shower so he could start settling the barbecue for the evening. He had quite a few surprises in store for Nate and was ready to make him salivate seeing and tasting everything set up for a great dining experience to rival the one staged by the skies.  
  
  
He had prepared the Quesadillas with chicken and easily pressed them so all their gooey, cheesy, spicy and tasty content could stay warm. The salad was easy to mix, the perfect Cobb salad if he said so himself. And then he worked on the main course, the barbecued potatoes and sesame prawns, accompanied by griddled peaches and some scrumptious pulled pork with dirty rice and pineapples.  
Duke had worked very hard to insure there would be enough spices, sauces and overall taste for Nathan palate to experience each of the bites he’d chew and to remember there were good things in the world, Duke and his offer included!  
  
  
As Nate came out, a long towel on his lean hips and drops of water smattering his fair skin, everything was ready but not setup, so Duke charged his friend with the task of putting the hammock out on the upper deck so it would be ready around the time the light show will start after dinner, and rushed to get himself cleaned up.  
  
  
It wasn’t exactly a date but Duke was going to do his part to make it memorable. So, after the shower, he paid special attention to the outfit that included a crisp white long sleeve button down shirt and a grey pleated pair of slacks. Sure he went commando under all the fancy clothes but hey, there was no reason he couldn’t indulge the hedonistic side of his character either.  
  
  
He slicked his hair back and went through the kitchen to get some of the plates pre-filled with the food out. Nathan had outdone himself. The weathered table was covered with a fresh table cloth, multiple lanterns littered the surrounding area and on the table, two sets of tableware were set side by side and additional plates of all sizes were in the middle ready to be used as needed.  
  
  
Once Duke set the ones in his hands, he turned toward Nathan and very slowly lifted a hand to the smiling face looking with happiness at him and dropped a small kiss on his lips. He didn’t linger but since the conversation they had earlier, it just had been easier to touch, to seat or work side by side, to lay a supportive hand on the other back or try to anticipate their needs. Nathan didn’t really respond to the kiss but his shy smile was as bright as before, not worried or concerned, and Duke was thankful for those small victories. Had he had more courage earlier in his life, he would have enjoyed all the hugs Nate always gave him so freely, on the days he was on his good side…  
  
  
He went back for the rest of the dishes including a surprise, hidden under a cloche. He was certain Nate would love the decadent taste of the Molten Lava Chocolate cake and he looked forward to kissing the stray drips of chocolate from his chin later on.  
  
  
The beers were open when he finally sat down, facing the ocean and enjoying the twinkling of lights reflecting on the dark waters. They joked, they reminisced, they ate and it was perfect, better than anything Duke imagination could have come up with since they parted ways after High School. And it was thanks to Audrey for bringing about how small all their petty disagreements were in the great scheme of things…  
  
  
The air was breezy but far from cold, so with the help of a couple of beers and now some hot tea to accompany the delicious cake, they felt warm and ready for the stargazing part of their evening. It only took one trip to drop everything in the sink below deck before bringing up a throw blanket with them.  
  
  
Settling down on the hammock was rocky… It was large enough when they were still growing up but now they looked ridiculous trying to give each other some space in it. Falling towards the middle, Duke ended up folding his arms behind his head and somehow letting Nathan lean over his side and it took gravity to do the rest and have both nestled close together, gazing at the luminous sky.  
  
  
The northern lights had these hazy lines of green dancing in the sky, and the yellow background was making it all eerie. It wasn’t the first time either of them caught the celestial display but it was the first time in a very long time, it found them in a place of peace, in a place of trust, in a place of hope. Everything was moving around them, not a quadrant was left untouched by the beauty and Duke dropped his arm around Nathan shoulders, they couldn’t look at each other but they absolutely could enjoy the show together.  
  
  
The cold air caught up with them and even though Nathan wasn’t feeling it, he was reacting to the burning sensation in his trachea due to the dehydration the cold created and he moved to bring the throw covering their feet all the way to their neck, seizing the opportunity to reposition himself in his friend embrace. It was downright cozy and Duke, giddy with happiness brought his other hand under his chin and engaged him in a real kiss, soft, sure, but with tongue and all.  
  
  
Nathan had long stopped wishing he could feel, instead he had focused his whole to learn how to map the world around him, and experience it at complimentary levels. He could smell the crisp cold air and how different it was from the summer soggy one. He could taste their shared meal in Duke mouth, he could see the crinkles of pleasure at the corner of his eyes, and hear his sighs of delight. It wasn’t anything like loving Audrey but it felt like somehow getting home.  
  
  
He leaned more towards Duke, shaking from barely suppressed excitement, licking his parched lips before whispering, "I'm so happy you are here and so sorry for the years I decided to waste on" He was interrupted with passion by Duke biting mouth... "Nate, we needed to grow into who we are today, I have no regrets but I'm ready to change all of it now!" he added before licking a path to the proferred Adam's Apple. Applying a little pressure, he could feel Nathan laboring for breath and released him at once before going back to plundering his warm mouth. It was exciting to feel the exhale, and the rest of his body relaxing in his hold, knowing Nate was actually so open to him, experiencing the kiss at a completely different level.  
  
  
The fact that it all evolved into heavy petting was more intricate than they both expected; could be because they were fully dressed, slightly intoxicated, and in a freaking hammock that was swinging more and more wildly with their movements. They settled down, once more, their fingers entertwined, focusing on the flashing lights and the poetic swirls and letting their mind rest until sleep caught up with them.  
  
  
Tomorrow will be an even better day!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**TRIPTYCH: When The World Turns To Black (Audrey relates to Duke and Nate - 1822 words)**  
  
  
She’d been to work twice with Nathan already, and her mind had drifted from faces to faces, searching for things to hold on to, flickers of memories waking up her consciousness in places too damn crowded… The sun went down one more time on them, leaving her battling nightmares, reaching out from a void eager to swallow her to try and get to the other side. Waking up restless and disappearing between layers, finding herself empty and ready to break, she needed to breathe, and to understand.  
  
  
She woke up startled in a pitch black environment, mouth parched, didn’t even hear her own cries, just feeling like she was drowning, alone, and shoved the restrictive sheets to rush upstairs and break above the waves... She noticed, almost as an after-thought, Duke and Nathan playing cards and drinking on the deck looking at her surprised by the bang when she shoved the door for fresh air. Nathan barely started “Lexie?” that she was already shaking her head no and rushing to the edge of the boat, trying to get any points of reference to hold on to.  
  
  
The men had certainly improved on their alternative modes of communication because without saying a word they stopped playing, Duke putting the cards back in the box and clearing the space, Nathan heading to the cooler to grab a cold bottle of water. They followed the tense movement of her shoulders, the dry heaving, and finally as she seemed to recognize her world and find her inner calm, they approached her.  
  
  
Duke removed his cardigan and covered her tank top clad shoulders, while Nate unscrewed the bottle and handed it to her. She sipped it rather than gulp it, trying to figure out what woke her, and how early in the evening it was to find them both out here instead of sleeping.  
  
  
She let Duke guide her towards the distressed lounger to their right and even though they weren’t on a touchy level with each other, she couldn’t find her bearings, she only knew she trusted them, whoever she was, no matter what was thrown their way, they cared about her.  
  
  
So she sagged against Duke who sat first and borrowed even deeper in his embrace once Nathan brought a blanket to cover them. Her whole body felt worn out even though she didn’t do anything particularly trying during the day; she wanted to close her eyes but she was too anxious to do so. She couldn’t tell anyone why, she didn’t even believe she was the kind to be scared or afraid but she was somehow unsettled. She wanted a taste of something sweet, a chance to calm her heart rate, to get away from the confusion and the darkness…  
  
  
Nathan dropped to his knees, looking concerned and asking: “Do you want more water? Something to eat? How can we help?”  
  
  
She looked in his big blues and just answered “nuh huh”. She then extended her hand to touch him and inquired sluggishly “what’s a trouble exactly?”  
  
  
Nate sat cross-legged in front of them, Duke shifted towards him, bringing her in the fold of his arms, tucked in his front, and they set up to listen to whatever Nathan was going to say, a story time of sort…  
  
  
“The Troubles are afflictions that appear to run in some of the families in our town. They’ve been part of our history for what seems like forever, and manifest themselves in waves about every 27 years or so.” His fingers went to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, shivering from the pleasure of the touch and she latched on to that, entwining their fingers bringing their hands on top of Duke forearm folded on her middle; Linking them all. It certainly confirmed what she had pieced together!  
  
  
She sighed then whispered “So, how is it affecting you?” Even Duke was interested in finding out how Nate was describing his trouble.  
  
  
He closed his eyes and for a moment he didn’t try to talk or look at them, just cleared his mind and took solace in his long lived peaceful acceptance of his life and how sucky it had been at times before finding his words… “There are what you’d call interoceptives and exteroceptives senses in our body. The first one helps you perceive sensations in your internal organs, let you know when the appendicitis hits. I can’t feel that or a gun shot for that matter. The later is about how one perceives his or her own body, its state of well-being, its position in the world and how it can move in it. Some of what makes that possible, I have access to, such as my sense of smell or taste, obviously hearing and sight. I can sense general major changes in temperatures, it’s called asthermoception. What I lose every time the Troubles come back is sensations, the sense of touch. Suddenly, I have to rely on muscle memory to know how much to push the speed pedal on my car, how strong should my hold be on the cup I drink from before I crush it or let it fall, or either figuring out if someone is tickling me or inflicting pain. Texture at the tip of my fingertips has no more meaning and suddenly I lose a way to translate part of the world around me, to connect with the people that matter to me. That’s what the Troubles means to me.” A hand went to ruffle his hair, he recognized Duke long fingers in the pressure that forced him to lean on them and finish with his head on Audrey’s midriff.  
  
  
Having her there as a conduit for sensation was fabulous, because even though Nathan was the one that couldn’t feel, Duke was feeling the deprivation of the touch as much some days. They had so much to catch up with, years of not being able to develop critical parts of the relationships that mattered, of learning about social construct in a warped way, of cheating their emotions.  
  
  
So, he picked up where Nathan left. “It means Audrey, or Lexie, or Lucy, that somehow, even if you don’t remember it, you mean the world to us. You are impervious to the Troubles, you instead seem to be able to fix them. But it’s not why we care about you; to us, you are a link to a better side of ourselves, you are the person that single-handedly decided to give us a chance, to stand by us, to let us finally look at the possibilities afforded to us. And we missed you!” Duke added with emphasis.  
  
  
She flopped on her back, Nathan a little more settled on her, Duke warm at her side. “I remember being Audrey, or a version of her. The problem is that Lexie is also part of me, everything I think seems to be Lexie but I just remember a few things from your Audrey and of moments spent with you, I’m so mystified, this is not normal and you all make me feel like there is a foregone conclusion that I haven’t figured out yet.”  
  
Nate lifted up his head at that. “Hey, you don’t have to rush it. Take your time, we both are here for you. Don’t mind us or this crazy town and its impossible folks!”  
  
He stood and held both hands out for them, “C’me here, let’s get to bed and start fresh tomorrow.” She somehow struggled to her feet and ended up falling in his outstretched arms while Duke followed much more nimbly.  
  
  
Duke dragged the blanket behind him and as they went inside, closing everything behind them and shuting all non-essential lights. By the time, he rounded up the living quarters, he noticed them crowding his bedroom. Curious, he left the blanket on the round settee and followed but before he could mutter anything, Nate pointed “It’s the biggest bed on the boat, and we are doing a sleepover tonight!” Well, who was he to argue. He went back to the galley to grab some bottles of water and as he made it back, he could see Audrey slipping into the middle of the bed, again in shorts and tank top, Nathan finishing to remove his socks and getting on the far side in his uniform t-shirt and boxer and only had a minute to decide to shed layers and join them with just enough to protect his decency on. He shut the light and wondered how to settle when Audrey’s small hand took his between hers and he realized she was now spooned by Nathan but willing to keep him close. It wasn’t long before he could hear them snore and snuggled even closer, turning on his tummy and letting his arm encompass both of them in sleep.  
  
  
***  ***  ***  
  
  
It was the rhythmic back and forth on her naked flank that slowly awoke her. The calloussed hand was inching from her upper thigh, over her shorts covered rump and stopping just below the curve of her breast where her tank top was bunched before retracing it’s step in the other direction and stopping longer on the back of her knee. The gesture was not light enough to tickle or heavy enough to become a sweaty weight, just perfect to leave slumber behind and think about the man warming up the bed behind her.  
  
  
As consciousness came in, other sensations registered. The heavy cock nudging at her back couldn’t be ignored, neither was the wetness slowly trickling on her warm thighs from her own core; but as noticeable, were the dark soft curls tickling her chest from the man still sleeping at her front.  
  
  
She wasn’t sure she wanted to still sleep but she wasn’t ready to rise up either. She must have moved though because Duke yawned and started moving around waking up. “Be quiet Duke, she is still resting” Nathan whispered. The other man rubbed his eyes, smiled and responded as low as his grave voice could do that early morning, “Man, I slept like a baby. How about you?”  
  
  
Nathan resumed his movement on her side, shivering with pleasure, and answered “Did too, until I opened my eyes and realized how every one of my nerve endings was firing up, and I was so alive I couldn’t stop touching her. I know it’s pervy and I’m kind of glad you are up so I can find something else to do...”  
  
Duke considered that for a moment and assessed the position he himself occupied. They were all clustered against Audrey sleeping on her side, with plenty of room on both sides that they could have been on. In sleep they've found each other in ways they couldn't yet do awake. Not fully awake, he looked up unsure on how to reconcile his happiness to be have those two back in his world and still address the concern he could hear in Nate's voice. He bllurted, “I feel you man… You want to go to the John first?” And that’s the time Audrey seized to stretched, finally opening a lid and then the second. At once, Nathan removed his hand, feeling like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  
  
  
“Hey”  
  
  
“Nate and me, we are ready to get breakfast started… Pancakes or Waffles?” Duke asked while kissing her hairline softly, smiling as her blond locks tickled his lips.  
  
Nate started coughing an underhanded _Pancakes_ through his breath but she just responded determined “Don’t care as long as you have Dark Amber Syrup to go with it!” eliciting a laugh from all.  
  
  
As Nathan stood up he added, “Okay then, let us get things ready and we’ll call you up to join us okay?”  
  
“Boy, you sure know how to charm a girl… You got a deal Wuornos!”  
  
As she settled back inside the rumpled sheets, bringing Duke's pillow in her arms, she thought to herself, there maybe really was a path they could follow together out of this special type of clusterfuck...  
  
The End.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**TRIPTYCH: The Only Thing Wrong With You Is Your Perspective… (1752 words)**  
  
  
Finally, memories of their wild night resurfaced… Audrey was still surprised at the fact it was Duke that ended up orchestrating it all and Nathan that coaxed her into letting her guard down.  
  
  
Lexie was as well travelled as Audrey, but she had a curious streak in matters of the sex that Parker couldn’t claim she had. However, the returned FBI agent had something as essential for this to work, a deep-rooted friendship with both men that brought them all a serenity that none could have obtained by themselves.  
  
  
They were each accomplished problems slayers in their own rights. However, with the terms given to them by the cards in the game played in Haven, they absolutely needed the strength provided by the presence, skills and smarts of the other two to trick the Troubles, death and history. It’s the one thing that convinced Audrey that the boys had it right, divided they would most likely fail.  
  
  
However, did they have a chance even united? This was about being able to anticipate, to trust, to sacrifice at a level that they had a hard time considering, but it made sense that the more in sync they could be, the more advantages they would get. Plus, let’s be honest, sexing these two men would never really have been a hardship, ever; so she could as well bask in the memories of that night!  
  
  
Audrey was truly pinned to the bed. Duke had gone down on her for a good fifteen minutes and she had already come undone once. Shaking in Nathan’s arms who was holding her from behind; she was letting a stream of swear words out as he had kept her open for his boy, at the critical time when the only thought she could have was to lock her legs on that dark haired head that was extracting so much pleasure from her that she forgot to string two thoughts together. There had been a few “there” and “aws” and “oh gosh” but she couldn’t remember her name right now, much less if she’d begged or directed them in any way.  
  
  
Nate hands at her thighs had been hot to the touch and she could only imagine how that had felt on the cheeks of Duke, determined as he was to eat her out, to open her up, to make her lose her mind. Even as her core was clenching on his two fingers, she could feel Nathan tremble behind her, as he was feeling Duke’ jaw working, and his fingers were getting wet from her juices and his saliva. So much sensation and so few moments to process it must have gotten to him as well. She should have done something to help him but honestly she had been more ready to curse his strength and his desire to keep her on the edge just by helping Duke drag this out.  
  
  
Had she not been on the verge, she would have appreciated the hard work they both put into pleasing her; not many women could have boosted about receiving that kind of attention in their lives. But, there was nothing that could have stopped her from tumbling in a sea of pleasure, waves after waves of it, to the point she wasn’t sure her heart could take it, even less be thanking the heavens for her amorous fortune.  
  
  
She was flat on her back when she managed to open her eyes next. And it was to the sight of them kissing… hard; Fighting for dominance, not letting the other take over, angling their heads this way or that to pressure the other into folding; it made for quite the show this close to her gaze. She let her hands roam free on the parts of their bodies she could reach, and saw firsthand, how it broke their concentration. Nathan gasped and Duke seized the moment to plow into his mouth, conquering it at once, accepting the inhalation and surrender of his mate.  
  
  
Duke hand came up to support Nate’s neck and push aside the sweaty strands at the collar of his night t-shirt. That garment, needed to go he thought while suckling at the other man tongue. He couldn’t understand how his detective could sleep dressed, even though we were only talking about a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, when Duke revealed in the glory of falling into bed gloriously naked, keenly aware of the softness of the sheets, of his body… Sure Nathan came to bed way late last night from work and it could have been cold…That got him distracted enough that Nathan pulled back, a short strand of saliva linking them for seconds before he felt abandoned.  
  
  
“Gosh, I need to get into you… Now!” the man in his thought exhaled in a hoarse voice and there wasn’t much Duke could respond to but to nod eagerly. They were both painfully hard, except that Nathan’ hard-on was still covered, tenting his underwear, while Duke’s was beating a pulsating rhythm against Audrey’s leg.  
  
  
Nate continued retreating enough to discard his clothes in a haphazard pile at the floor by his side of the bed, his movements somehow pushing Audrey closer to Duke. It didn’t take much for those two to connect from there on. Duke lifted her thighs over his forearms and oh so slowly let his cock part her for him. There was no foreplay but a sweet descent into an abyss of contentment that even Nathan, that was just watching them, felt. As the other man was bottoming into the welcoming body of Audrey, she wrapped her arms around his wide shoulders, letting him find the crook of her neck and actively suck a hickey there.  
  
  
Grasping the tube of slick on the bed table, Nathan slathered some quickly on his cock. He couldn’t feel as Audrey wasn’t touching him but he knew not too spend too much time at it and risk to come before he could get to his prize, namely fucking Crocker into the mattress, or as it was presenting itself, into Audrey.  
  
  
He let some of the slick dribble straight from the bottle into Duke’s hole, not really thinking about it not being at the right temperature, only realizing it when he saw the shiver run through the naked back of his lover and the involuntary clench he did then. It brought his balls to slap more strongly against Audrey backside and that filthy noise was just about the wake-up call Nathan needed not to dilly dally too much.  
  
The curve of Duke back was now more pronounced as he folded himself to reach a tantalizing nipple with his tongue, laving it noisily before sinking his teeth in the accessible breast. The tremor it created in Audrey was awe inspiring and Nate freed one of her arm from the hold on Duke’s shoulders to lace his fingers with hers at her side before breaching Duke and stopping to take a moment to steady himself and help the man between them accommodate the fat head of his cock lodged just past his entrance.  
  
  
So many sensations assailed Nathan at that moment, he chocked a sob, before letting passion follow his course and sinking fully into Duke. It pushed them both against Audrey who cried out at the intense feeling and Duke froze for a moment, overwhelmed. He couldn’t pay the reverent attention it deserved to Audrey’s breast anymore and he hid his face at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, breathing in pheromones so powerful, he became lightheaded.  
  
  
Nathan, for his part, was aware of how tight Duke felt, now that he was touching Audrey and he didn’t wait before laying fully on the man back to reach their girl’s mouth and kiss the living daylight of her. They weren’t moving at all, just breathing, and kissing, and nibbling and as they somehow got used to the intricate position they were in, they loosened a bit and slowly shifted. A scramble of legs here, a swift hip movement there, a stirring motion and they started a dance older than time, a rush towards completion that they wanted to savor but feared would sadly be too immediate.  
  
  
Somehow, Duke had seized Audrey’s other hand and held it to his face while rotating his hips and hitting her g-spot here and there. He wished he could keep hitting it just for the benefit of her inner muscles rolling along his shaft and making him see stars, but he couldn’t… Nathan was driving into him with a punishing rhythm that threw away his own, making him squeeze his sphincter tight in the hope he could stave his coming ejaculation. It was the kind of battle that was making him crazy and that he wasn’t used to wage… And thinking he was the one that thought this ought to be the way to go…  
  
  
Audrey was chanting their names with each shove, Duke keening was sadly muffled nevertheless their combined noises were music to Nate’s ears, it meant so much that he couldn’t find words for it. He tried to concentrate but got sidetracked by beads of sweat falling from his hairline on Duke muscled back that he wanted to lick. He repositioned his other hand on the young man waistline to ground him as he powered through into him, and sported a blinding smile getting bigger as he realized how close they all were to bliss.  
  
  
Without Duke, none of them would be here, enjoying the best sex of their lives. For none of them genuine happiness would even be within reach… Them sharing a bed and a life was the kind of blessing that humbled the most seasoned veteran of the Troubles and as they reached completion in a frenzy of uncoordinated movements, Duke eyes leaked some stray tears he couldn’t hold back and tried to hide. Audrey wouldn’t let him, the thumb against his face wiping them away with enough care that it brought a smile to his mouth. “Love you” she murmured, and he looked at her with shiny eyes, ready to worship her again if only Nathan hadn’t exhausted him so thoroughly... They untangled leisurely and found a spot somewhere on the rumpled bed to come up for air, stop the maddening racing of their hearts, and let their hands lazily trace unknown designs on each other skin.  
  
  
Nathan managed a “Thank you” to none of them in particular before yawning and closing his eyes… Audrey was glowing… Duke somehow was already dead to the world… Life was going to be so good together!  
  
  
The End.  
  
  
  
  
  
**THE END.**  
  
(End note: I decided to end it nicely with a pretty bow as the threesome they deserve to be rather than to take the risk of not finishing the story. Thank you for reading and for commenting if inspired)

  
  
    
  
  
Waking up to the good stuff:  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was supposed to be the 5 part series about the three Gulls getting together followed by the 5 part series of them making it work as a unit, but this last part is condensing the whole of the story so it is now complete :) Yeah!

**Author's Note:**

> I am new to the fandom, so I apologize in advance for any error but won't mind if you pm me to let me know of any issues. Of course kudos and comments help feed the muse and inspire better work, so don't hesitate to let me know what you think. Thanks for reading :)
> 
> Thank you to itsmecoon for the first read!
> 
> And a special thank you to GreyHaven for accompanying me on this journey!


End file.
